Every now and then

[Ron Werner]

I get listening to the guys that say not to prevac, or not to worry about it as much and they almost get me believing it.
Its funny how shortly afterward I get into a job where I prevac and I get a LOT more than I expected.
This place as an example. Looked pretty clean, really couldn't see anything worth vacuuming. 3 small areas (traffic area only) and 15 stairs.
But there was lots of dust and fibres came off the carpet. Someone said that the truck mount would get all this.

If you don't prevac, you must be emptying your filter every 20 minutes!

 

[Blue Monarch]

Goes right in the waste tank. Filtered out on dump.

 

[Greenie]

Mr. Ladwig came apon one of Dirk's recently cleaned customers, he told me he did a "4 corners" thorough vacuuming, shouldn't get much cause it was recently steamed out.....4 dirt cups later that looked like Ron's, told a different story. 0 for Wingrove 1 for Ladwig.

Mebe you should do the clean vac bag test.

 

[Brian R]

There you go Ron

Here is your next video.

Steam the hell out of a carpet and come back the next day and vac it.

I want to see it and I want to see it right friggen now.


This will prove your point once and for all.


How have you not done this yet...or have you?


What say you?

 

[Brian R]

Oh and remember to pick a trashed carpet and don't vacuum before, of course.

I am sure you will be fair and un-biased.


When can we expect this?
I'm waiting...

Where's the toe tapping emoticon??

 

[GeneMiller]

If you don't vacuum first when you are done with your hwe separate the fibers at the entrance with your fingers. You will be shocked how much debris is still in the carpet.That's what convinced me

Gene

 

[TimP]

All I can say is that I don't even get that much dirt in a week of vacuuming. Hell even doing the schools I go through about 10,000 sq ft vacuuming the carpet before I change bags. I must be doing something wrong.

 

[renegade_cowboy]

Its all about the dog and pony show. Despite what your opinion is, it adds value to your services. The use of corner guards, sliders, air mover, wet floor signs, grooming to carpets also add the same value to your services. I think a customer see's less value in a company that is in and out too quick. Maybe not as likely to call that splash and dash company back.

I think its good to prep the carpet as much as possible before the cleaning.

 

[Greenie]

I think its good to prep the carpet as much as possible before the cleaning.

Exactly, Brent beat me to it, remove some dry soil and hair, prep the nap for pre-spray, and give a value added show, not to mention keeping your filters cleaner, leavign you with better vacuum from beginning to end.

 

[Brian R]

Ok, I can live with that.

 

[renegade_cowboy]

You can be as great as you want to be. Same with your company.

 

[Ron Werner]

Its all about the dog and pony show. Despite what your opinion is, it adds value to your services. The use of corner guards, sliders, air mover, wet floor signs, grooming to carpets also add the same value to your services. I think a customer see's less value in a company that is in and out too quick. Maybe not as likely to call that splash and dash company back.

I think its good to prep the carpet as much as possible before the cleaning.

Corner guards, airmovers, wet floor signs, final grooming, These are things I see as show and value adding.
Sliders, though they add show, they are for me. They save my back and a lot of hassle. Every time I move a table or couch I wonder what the hec I did before sliders!
Prevacuuming, thats part of the job. The only show part of it is when I show the client what I removed.

Thats a great idea Greenie and Brian. I guess the only reason I've never done that is it requires going back to the house twice. It was basically what I was showing in the vid from MF. I'll look for the opportunity. I get some pretty bad rentals that won't be occupied right away and the prop mgr knows me well enough to allow me to "play". Should I spike it with some carpet deodour powder ? 8)

 

[Brian R]

Just play fair, Ron. Like I know you will.

You really have to try to clean that carpet first...then vac later.

May the force be with you.

 

[pablomoreno]

Good topic!

I use a Dyson dc-14 vac with the clear chamber. This model uses the twisted flat vane beater bar with brushes on opposite edges. The shape of the vane helps increase suction by design. It is rare when I can't pick up significant loose fiber, hair and dust.

I also use a Whitaker GLS or Rotowash to scrub in my pre-spray on residential jobs. You wouldn't believe how much soil and hair is trapped by sticky soils over time. It's a must for pet hair removal. I've pulled out pet hair from homes where the pet died years ago. Using a cylindrical brush machine helps emusify soils and lifts the nap better than any other tool I've tried. It also uses less moisture to break the soil free, which makes wanding/rinsing an easier and faster job and reduces drying times. I get cheerleader results using Bi-O-Kleen TLC and Fiberglow which aren't considered aggressive cleaners with this method.

Hope this helps

Paul Brown

 

[Ron Werner]

Just play fair, Ron. Like I know you will.

You really have to try to clean that carpet first...then vac later.

May the force be with you.

The biggest challenge for me will be cleaning it without vacuuming, thinking about what's in there as I'm cleaning. I'll be letting the GH wand really flush. It would almost be better if I had someone that didn't prevac steam clean the carpet because they would move twice as fast in the wanding and probably not as much prep.

What I'll do when I get the opportunity is do everything the same, ie prespray, Sebo, rinse (with hybrid glide instead of holed). I'll try not to move the wand any faster than I normally would.
I'll give it a day or two to make sure its totally dry, then go back and vacuum.

 

[Brian R]

That works.
The idea of having someone else do it...who doesn't know that they are in the test would work too.
A single blind study, if you will.

 

[Greenie]

That Sebo is gonna bias it some, most "wand only" guys don't take the time to run a CRB, I bet you still pull up a fair amount of sand, hair and soil, it;ll be cleaner than the status quo.

 

[Ron Werner]

So I should clean it as Sears does it? Got a flyer today in the valpak envelope.
I'm already a step ahead with a hybrid glide.

Only Sears has the multi-step ULTRACAREtm System which features the cleaning process recommended by the world's leading carpet manufacturers.

Then I watched this video for their carpet cleaning:
http://www.searsclean.com/videodemo.aspx


Check out the wand on their home page.

Found this page too, from Good Housekeeping. Funny how none of them vacuumed first.
http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/video/? ... 5020368001
The Chemdry RX20 has holes on its vac heads.

 

[Steve in Omaha]

Funny how none of them vacuumed first.

hahahahahahaha, me laughing all the way to the bank

 

[Ron Werner]

SO does Stanley Steamer. What's your point?

 

[Blue Monarch]

"Mr." Ladwig? lol

 

[steve r]

maybe vacuum half a room first to see whats already there, otherwise how do you know if you pulled out a lot or just a little. then vac it all when dried doing one half at a time to see what you can pull out of each then you can tell if pre vacn removes twice as much or a quarter as much or whatever your results show.

 

[steve frasier]

a couple of months back I cleaned for a college professor, her house was pretty clean but she said her dust cup vacuum would fill up and she had a flea problem

she prevacuumed everything and took the indoor cat in for a flea bath, I pile lifted and cleaned the whole house and furniture

2 months later she calls back and says that she hardly gets anything in her dust cup vacuum now and her flea problems went away